Golf World May Issue Preview

THE REAL TIGER, BY HANK HANEY MAY 2012, ISSUE 5 VOL 53 MASTERS PREVIEW ISSUE ■ NEW IRONS TESTED ■ EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT FROM HANK HANEY’S BOOK ON TIGER ■ PLAY OR PRACTISE?

EXCLUSIVE BOOK EXTRACT HAS A NAVY SEALS OBSESSION COST HIM THE CHANCE TO BEAT JACK?

44-PAGE AUGUSTA PREVIEW

THE MASTERS > EXCLUSIVE RORY INTERVIEW > NICKLAUS’S COURSE ADVICE > WHY PLAYERS LOVE AUGUSTA > INSIDE THE CROW’S NEST > STARS ON THE KEY SHOTS > SECRETS OF AMEN CORNER

MAY 2012

YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE YEAR’S FIRST MAJOR

£4.20

TIPS WITH HARMON, KAYMER & WATSON

book e x tr ac t

the big miss

by hank haney After the initial joy of being asked to teach the greatest player in the world, Hank Haney worried that Tiger Woods’ fascination with military training jeopardised his left knee and the attempt at breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record.

Words BY jaime diaz PHOTOGRAPHy by dom furore, getty images

SCOTLAND’S COURSE BOOM In the run-up to Gleneagles’ Ryder Cup in 2014, the Home of Golf will see a series of high-profile course openings, despite the global economic woes.

WORDS BY MARK ALEXANDER

1 TAYMOUTH CASTLE DESIGN TEAM: Stephen Gallacher and Weller Designs DUE TO OPEN: Summer 2012 EST COST: £70 million LOCATION: Perthshire THEY SAY: “To my mind, good golf course design is about creating a course that is enjoyable and fair for all, and I believe that is what we have achieved at Taymouth Castle.” Stephen Gallacher

Since Taymouth Castle changed hands in November 2010, a lot has been happening at the Perthshire estate. The castle has been painstakingly restored while the golf course, originally laid out by James Braid, has benefited from new tee complexes and nine new greens bringing it up to a championship standard. Inform European Tour player Gallacher has also been signed up to help with the remodelling.

NEW COU R SE S

S

cotland may be well-endowed with a back-catalogue of ancient links courses and a bucket list of inland beauties, but there seems to be room for plenty more.

Ahead of the 2014 Ryder Cup, the Home of Golf is preparing to welcome a batch of new 18-holers that are set to capitalise on the return of one of the world’s biggest sporting events after 41 years.

In fact, unlike other parts of Europe, Scotland is bucking a downward trend by continuing to add new developments to its already healthy portfolio of 547 courses.

New tracks like Castle Stuart Links near Inverness, Machrihanish Dunes and The Castle Course in St Andrews are already

maturing nicely after receiving visitors for at least a couple of years.

Changes are also afoot at other relatively new venues such as Tom Doak’s Renaissance Club which borders onto Muirfield and, most dramatically, The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.

Jack Nicklaus and his team are currently on site tweaking his original layout to provide a more exciting finale – a new elevated tee, the removal of 35,000 tonnes of soil and a new 18th green should take care of that.

Others are taking the prospect of the return of golf’s greatest team event to even greater heights. A series of new, high-end golf resorts are having the final touches

made to them ahead of the inevitable twoyear build up to Ryder Cup fever. These latest start-ups are taking on Scotland’s old guard with an alluring combination of optimism and opportunism. At least four have employed Major winners to ensure the new layouts come up to scratch.

Commenting on the new developments Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland chief executive, said: “We are blessed with a plethora of world-class courses but adding to the quality at our disposal and working together to showcase Scottish success is, without doubt, the way forward, and I commend those going that extra mile.”

Here are few examples of how Scotland is adding to its golfing riches. ➨

P l ay e r s Care more about the outcome than how they achieve it

ARE YOU A PLAYER OR A PRACTIsER?

Some of us will play 18 holes on our own for practice. Others prefer a bucket of range balls to groove a swing change. Whichever you are, here’s eight tips to help.

Words BY jim mc lean PHoToGraPHY BY WalTer iooss jnr

TOU r TUITION

i

’ve discovered over the years that golfers generally fall into two categories: those who would prefer to practise and those who would rather play. There’s nothing wrong with either, and both can be equally rewarding.

Which are you, and, more importantly, which way makes you a better golfer?

Interestingly, practice is a relatively recent phenomenon as witnessed by the fact that

most of the old, established clubs in Europe and many of the great old American courses have either no practice range or a very limited one. Ben Hogan might have been the first great practiser as defined by an obsession with mechanics and repetition.

Modern-day practisers include Vijay Singh and Sean O’Hair, who crave a perfect swing and working on small details. Rickie Fowler is the antithesis of a practiser, playing by

Pr ac TI s e Would rathe r s rm great swing ake s shoot a goo than d they enjoy th score... e pro of improvin cess g

feel and instinct. Some golfers get worse the more they practise, and others get worse the more they play.

I’ll show practisers how to improve by creating playing situations on the range, and players how to benefit by practising on the course.

Jim mcLean is author, teacher, and founder of the Jim McLean Golf Schools. His PGA Tour students include Keegan Bradley and Jason Day.

AU G U S TA i s N o .1 I N S U RV E Y O F TO U R P R O S

The first ranking of all the US tour venues – by the players themselves – reveals the old-school challenge of Augusta National is their favourite.

G

olf World asked 81 PGA Tour pros to fill out a 10-page ballot rating the architecture of the 52 courses used for tour events over the past three years, on a scale of one (worst) to 10 (best).

The pros voted Augusta National No.1, followed

by Harbour Town, Riviera, Pebble Beach, Colonial, Muirfield Village, Shaughnessy, Aronimink, Innisbrook, Congressional and TPC Sawgrass. “The quality of the

courses is so much more important than the powersthat-be seem to think,” Geoff Ogilvy wrote. “Think about it: Almost every year the Masters identifies the very best players and is, in the process, the most entertaining event. If you polled every golfer in the world, most would say it’s their favourite event to watch on television. There’s no good reason the PGA Tour can’t be like that every week.” Last place in the survey went to Liberty National.

TH E MA STE R S

WHY iT’S THE BEST Score: 8.96

Labelled the “best we play on a yearly basis,” “brilliant,” “stunning” and “ideal because it makes you feel awkward… in a good way,” the Masters venue took the top spot for “being so pure.”

There was also some quibbling for not being “as good as it could be.”

The Alister MacKenzie/ Bobby Jones “masterpiece” was branded a “disappointing 8, if that’s possible,” said one who noted Augusta “was better when it was wider and asking strategic questions,” before declaring, “the rough has to go.”

Another: “Only reason it’s not a 10: too manicured, too many [Tom] Fazio changes.”

Extensive lengthening was a common gripe: “It was a 10 when Jack won in 1986, but they’ve added too much length.”

Many opinions of this 7,445-yard course were influenced by course preparation: “Only loses points because of set-up and changes to 11.” A less-complimentary player said Augusta “makes you look silly a little too much, and that’s a reference to green speeds and slopes, not the water holes, which are brilliant.”

Changes to hazards also have not gone unnoticed. “All of the deepened fairway bunkers are too penal.”

The conflicted feelings of many were best summarised by this player: “I think the course is too gimmicky, yet there’s no other tournament in the world I would rather play.”

th e ma ste r s

RORY

‘When I get to the 10th tee I will obviously think a little bit about what happened there 12 months ago… but only for a little while’ Words BY jock hoWard PhoToGraPhY BY oakleY, GeTTY imaGes

N

o one really knows what will happen when the 22-yearold Rory McIlroy turns off Washington Road and drives down Magnolia Lane in a matter of weeks. The demons which so publicly turned his brain to mush and brought him close to tears on the 13th tee a year ago, are not expected to return. After all, the Rory McIlroy of today is a changed man; and we’re not just talking about how he has replaced a lot of body fat with lean muscle. He has a new girlfriend, a new manager and a Major. Just as importantly, by most people’s reckoning, (if not quite yet the Official World Golf Rankings) he is the best player on the planet right now.

But Augusta National is a unique and spooky place. The National, as the locals call it, is one of those places where mistakes are magnified; where (excusing the mixed metaphors) if you don’t take your medicine, things very easily start to snowball.

“When I get to the 10th tee for the first time,” Rory tells Golf World at the Honda Classic, “I will obviously think a little bit about what happened there 12 months ago.

But only for a little while. I may take a sneeky look over to where I was. Hopefully,

this year, I won’t see those cabins quite so close up! I don’t look at it as revenge really.

It would just be great to put myself in a position to win again. And, if I can do that, it will be great to see if I can handle things a little bit better!”

So far in his short career, Augusta National has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Rory; and that is even without mentioning his nightmare eightover final-round 80 last year. Twelve months before this, at the 2010 Masters, Rory was at the lowest ebb many of his closest friends had ever seen him, after shooting 74-77 to miss the cut. Those of us who saw him that Friday night were left with the very distinct impression that he had fallen out of love with the game. At 20.

Chubby Chandler, his then manager, spoke of needing to ‘protect’ Rory and of trying to make sure he didn’t ‘burn out’ and become disillusioned. McIlroy himself now admits to sulking after that week.

How things have changed. This year, he has rented a big house and – unlike last year – will have his mum and dad with him. (The ‘breakfast chats’ with father Gerry were crucial – Rory reckons – to his success at Congressional.) Look also for ➨ www.golf-world.co.uk // MAY 2012

swirling down

Augusta’s 12th hole sits at the bottom of a natural sink. Treacherous winds and the Words BY guY Yocom PHoTogrAPHY BY geTTY imAges

the inVisiBle han ds A n o r t h wind gives players the worst of it, the cold gusts blowing every which way. A warmer s o u t h wind can be concealed by trees and is also tricky.

A w e s t wind is easiest to judge.

11th green

th e ma ste r s

the drain

whirlpool effect make it the scariest 155 yards in golf.

12th green

12th tee

THE NICKLAUS INFLUENCE

McIlroy and Schwartzel are the latest to learn: when you need advice at Augusta, ask Jack.

WORDS BY NICK SEITZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY, PRESS ASSOCIATION

TH E MA STE R S

boys to m e n

The Crow’s Nest – Bobby Jones’ attic in the Augusta National clubhouse – has been home for generations of Masters amateurs. ‘When you come down,’ says one, ‘you’re grown up.’ Oh, and you’ll have stories you can tell for the rest of your life.

Words BY dave kindred PHOTOGRAPHy by dom furore

th e ma ste r s

2012 new products

M A R T i N k Ay M e R

how to own E VE RY paR 3

The German star’s key tips to master the short holes.

PHOTOGRAPHy by MARk NewcOMbe

In theory, par 3s should be among the easier holes; one clean strike off a tee and you are putting for birdie. Yet in pro-ams, I consistently see amateurs struggling on them. Why? Well, first, amateurs often appear indecisive on the tee.

With driver you just bash away; but on a par 3 you are faced with issues like club selection and strategy. Often, the amateur fails to resolve these questions and makes an uncommitted effort – ending in failure. The second problem I see is fear of sand. So many par 3s are protected by bunkers, and that puts pressure on the shot for the golfer who doesn’t fancy himself with a sand wedge. So here, I am going to show you the process I use to allow me to make a committed swing, before giving you some pointers to help boost your bunker confidence.

MAY 2012 // www.golf-world.co.uk

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

www.taylormadegolf.eu

1: GATHER ALL THE infoRmATion you nEEd Being decisive on the tee comes from the confidence that you’ve gauged the challenge in front of you accurately. Here are the four things I look at every time to help me determine the shot.

wind

Understanding the effect of wind comes with experience, but here is a good rule to follow. If the hole is downwind, it is obviously harder to get the ball to stop on the green. On these occasions I will take a club I can hit hard, because hitting hard produces more height and more backspin – both of which help the ball cling on to the green.

Naturally, the opposite is the case into the wind. Taking extra club allows a softer hit, which means less height and less backspin. That’s ideal if you need to keep the ball down.

Ya R d a g E

The first thing I do on the tee of every par 3 I play is assess the distance to the flag. The tee on a par 3 is the one place on the course where you can know the yardage without the need for charts or rangefinders. Just make sure you take the position of the pin and the tee of the day into account. The second part of yardage, of course, is knowing how far you hit each club. For a simple way to find out, head to the range, pick an iron and hit five balls. Discount the longest and the shortest ball, and take an average of the middle three.

pin position

It is rare that you get a perfect yardage to the flag; usually the distance puts you between two clubs. So my rule is that if the pin is at the front, I take the more powerful club – and if the pin is at the back, I take the weaker club.

That way, the club is always giving you the most margin for error. My other rule is that if the shot requires less than a 6-iron, I will go straight at the pin.

Obviously, if the flag is perched over water I will amend that; but unless there is some really dangerous penalty for being slightly off, I will go straight at it.

slopEs

Pay close attention to the lie of the land around the hole and green in making your shot selection. Here, for example, I am noticing: n A gentle upslope on the left, which means a fairly simple uphill chip should I miss to the left n A raised area to the right of the pin, which will kick anything right back to the hole n A raised area behind the pin, which acts as a buffer for anything a little long.

thE dEcision

On this hole, the yardage is right for an 8-iron; but with a hard wind behind, I want to hit the ball hard and high. Having assessed the hazards, I know I can afford to be aggressive. So my decision is made – a hard 9-iron right at the flag.

www.golf-world.co.uk // MAY 2012

EQUIPMENT NEW CLU B S / T ECHNOLOGY / TOU R INSIGH T / T E STS

THE

SCIENCE OF SPIN It’s a myth that lower-spinning drives go further; you need to match those lower spin rates with a higher launch angle.

Golf is often a game of trade-offs where making one change can necessitate another. PGA Tour star Kyle Stanley found that out during an instruction session at Titleist’s Test Centre in California.

Stanley had an alignment issue with his driver. He was repeatedly setting up open, and he wanted to get back to square. However, after making that seemingly simple adjustment, his driver spin rate dropped to less than 2,000 revolutions per minute.

For Stanley (below), whose spin rate averaged more than 2,600 for the 2011 season, that meant his tee shots were falling from the sky faster, resulting in a loss of distance. As such, Stanley, who had a relatively low launch angle of 10.5 degrees in 2011, upped the loft on his Titleist 910D3 driver from 7.5 degrees to 8.5 degrees. The result was a spin rate in the more desirable 2,400rpm range.

Stanley’s experience is not unlike what everyday golfers go through when being fitted for a driver. Fitters search for the combination of launch angle and spin rate that optimises distance. The old saying is that high launch, low spin is the key to distance. As Stanley found out, without the high launch, low spin is instead a distance killer.

Many fitters contend that while launch angle is a more important ingredient for fast swingers, getting the right amount of spin has an even greater effect on those with slower swing speeds. As Stanley discovered, though there is such a thing as too little spin, generally a ball with less spin will fly through the air better.

Conversely, a ball with too much spin will “balloon” or rise too fast, thus losing its forward momentum.

Those who remember the days of persimmon drivers and balata balls

MAY 2012 // www.golf-world.co.uk

recall tee shots that started out low and then climbed into the air – the “aircraft carrier shot” as it was called. Though cool to look at, that shot was highly inefficient because the ball would rise to its apex quickly and then fall at a very steep angle. In other words, it didn’t stay in the air very long and then rolled little when it landed. Not a great way to gather extra yards.

The importance of achieving the right amount of spin can be illustrated by the players at the top and bottom of the PGA Tour’s driving distance chart for 2011. Ranking first was JB Holmes at 318.4 yards. However, Holmes’ distance was mostly due to his physical prowess as he also possessed the fastest swing speed on tour at 124.76mph. Holmes’ launch angle was high at 12.3 degrees, but he was missing the low spin aspect, spinning the driver at a somewhat inefficient 2,714 rpm. For Holmes, a reduction in driver spin would likely bring him even more yards.

Though he ranked last in distance at 269.8 yards, Brian Gay found a combination that helped him get the most out of his 103.46 swing speed (which also was last on tour). Gay launched the ball at 11.76 degrees and spun it at 2,457 rpm. That combination was good enough to rank Gay T-29 in driving distance efficiency (distance divided by swing speed) last season.

So what would Gay need to do to reap more yards? Most likely a slight boost in his launch angle would help. To achieve that without changing his swing would require either a slightly softer shaft or an increase in loft on his driver. However, both those “fixes” would also likely add spin, which is something he wouldn’t want.

As we said, golf is a game of trade-offs.

ADAMS SPEEDLINE FAST 12 LS The Speedline Fast 12 LS (Low Spin) driver is the lowestspinning driver the US brand has ever made, and it’s the only driver with length adjustability. The standard length of the Fast 12 LS is 45 inches, but it can be adjusted to 45.5. You can adjust loft up to +/- 1 degree, and lie can be adjusted upright to +2 degrees. There is also a removable weight in the back of the clubhead to allow the golfer to change to a lighter weight when the club is lengthened in order to maintain the same swingweight. RRP: £349.

MACGREGOR M59 The iconic MacGregor name is back in the UK, with a new range headlined by the white MP59 titanium driver. It features a 460cc titanium head, ‘Curved Face Technology’ to boost ball speed on off-centre hits and a UST shaft. RRP: £149.99. The M59 line includes fairways, hybrids, milled wedges and putters.

FORGED FACE The new Forged 6-4 Ti face produces Mizuno’s fastest ever ball speeds, with a three-thickness design to maintain those speeds across the widest hitting area. A deep traditional head, with two internal weight pods, keeps spin rates to a minimum .

LAUNCHES

TAYLORMADE PENTA S

PRICE: £44.99/£36.99 PER DOZEN TaylorMade has unveiled two new Pentas, an improved five-piece and a new three-piece.

The former has a core compression 28% lower than the predecessor, which results in lower driver spin and a softer feel. The TP3 has been designed to increase spin without hurting distance, especially in long and mid irons.

WIL SON 888 UPGR ADED

PRICE: £89.99 PER DOZEN Wilson Golf has upgraded its classic line of putters for 2012, with four models featuring a sleek new design and black anti-glare finish.

Inspired by the iconic 8802 putter that captured a host of major titles, the new range of 888 Series BLK putters has been updated with precision milling and built-in alignment aids.

FOOTJOY APPAREL

FootJoy has launched its first, full apparel collection. There’s four designs in the FJ Performance Apparel Collection, which includes polo shirts, trousers and knitwear. The addition of an Athletic fit option within the collection ensures that those seeking a more tailored look are well catered for. It will be worn on tour by Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Steve Stricker.

© GOLF DIGEST

MIZUNO MP-650 The MP-650 is a 450cc “Tour Ready” driver engineered to combine high average ball speeds with a high launch angle and low spin rates – producing noticeable distance gains in the right hands. Together with MP-650 fairway woods and hybrids, the heads are from the same production line as those carried by Mizuno’s PGA European Tour workshop. The models are heavily influenced by Mizuno’s Japanese domestic MP Craft line. Stripped back for simplicity, with high-spec materials, ball speed and impact sound is prioritised over adjustability. The shapes are deep and traditional, producing the low spin rates needed to maximise faster swing speeds. RRPs: Driver £279, fairway £199, hybrid £199.

BRIDGESTONE TOUR-B330

PRICE: £44.99 PER DOZEN Bridgestone has unveiled its newest TOUR B330 and TOUR B330-S models. The popular four-piece balls now feature larger cores and softer covers than the previous B330 models.

The company says the result is longer distance and more spin for players with swing speeds over 105mph.

www.golf-world.co.uk // MAY 2012